Marshwood playoff chances take hit after loss to Sanford

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — The quest for the playoffs isn't over yet for the Marshwood High School boys basketball team.

Mike Zhe

SOUTH BERWICK, Maine — The quest for the playoffs isn't over yet for the Marshwood High School boys basketball team.

But nobody's denying that this latest loss hurt.

Every game lately has been a close one for the bubble-resting Hawks, but not enough of them have gone their way at the end. Up a point at halftime Tuesday, they watched Sanford and sharpshooter Evyn Nolette take control after the break and pull away for a comparative blowout, 77-64.

"We wanted this one," said Marshwood coach Mike Zamarchi. "We were up seven in the fourth (quarter) up there and kind of gave it away, we felt. Halftime tonight, I thought we were in a good place. But giving up 77 points ...; defensively, we were not consistent."

The loss dropped Marshwood to 6-11 in Western Maine Class A. It will need to beat rival Noble here on Friday — Senior Night — and even then may need an out-of-town result to fall their way to grab a spot in the 12-team field.

"We've got one more shot," said Zamarchi. "We beat Noble, there's still a good chance we can get in."

Guards Jack Letellier and Drew Bartlett led the Hawks with 13 points apiece. Bartlett, a 5-foot-11 junior, was a particular focus of the Spartans' defense, who allowed him very few open looks from behind the arc.

Sanford (11-6) is already in the playoffs as it's enjoying its best season in a decade. The heady Nolette finished with 28 points and his team closed things out splendidly, making 26-of-30 free throws.

"It was a playoff atmosphere," said Sanford coach Paul Nolette, Evyn's father. "Marshwood's trying to get in so it was playoff intensity. We had to adjust to the (tight) officiating. I was pleased how we responded."

The Spartans responded best right after halftime. Down 26-25, they scored two quick baskets to take the lead. Tied 31-31 after Hawks reserve forward Zach Mitchell converted a 3-point play, they gradually crafted a 9-3 run, efficiently getting points on the offensive end.

It was 46-39 after Evyn Nolette scored the last four points of the quarter and the lead never shrunk after that.

"They finished. They executed when they needed to," said Zamarchi. "The lead got to six or seven and we started to get rattled, started to take chances."

It didn't help that the Hawks were without 6-foot-5 center Brady Innes (10 points) for stretches. Innes picked up a second foul early in the second quarter and third early in the third quarter, leading to longer-than-needed stays on the bench.

"Our focus was to try to take Bartlett out of the game and focus on Innes," said Paul Nolette.

Undersized senior forwards John Morgan and Josh Schroder each had 12 points for the Spartans.

The was a rematch of last year's playoff thriller — albeit without Sanford standout Ryan Camire and some other key players — that the Spartans won down the stretch, 52-49. Most games between these teams in recent years have been tight.

This one was too — for a half.

A three-point play by Schroder and a three by Chase Smith-Roberts gave Sanford the biggest lead of the first half — 21-15 — with a little over five minutes to play.

But Bartlett, unable to find room off screens to get off his own threes, created one for himself from the left wing. That accelerated the 9-2 run that closed the half for the Hawks, with a Baili Lontine-Kearson free throw in the final seconds standing as the 26-25 gap.

The seven games before this for the Hawks had all been decided by single-digit margins, as have most this season. They expected another close game Tuesday, given the stakes and the opponent, but it really wasn't.

"We've had three games that haven't been down to the wire," said Zamarchi. "We know we can play with anybody. If we get in (to the playoffs), we know we can make things happen, especially in the first round or two. ...; We need to regroup and be ready to go Friday."

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